Nipple shield constructions



April 10, 1956 P RAlcHE 2,741,385

NIPPLE SHIELD CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Aug. 9, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

BY 2d a. m-6 b ATTOR NEY United States Patent NIPPLE SHIELD CONSTIRUCIIQNS Paul A. Raiche, North Providence, R. 1., assignor to Davol Rubber Company, a corporation of Rhode island Application August -.9, 1952, Serial No. 303,511

11 Claims. (Cl. 21511) The present invention relates to nurser Combination for infant feeding comprising a bottle, a nipple, and a retaining cap, and has particular reference to a novel construction for a nipple shield therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel shield for the nipple, which may be mounted on the nipple and retained on the nipple during sterilization, and which then keeps the nipple sterile until use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible nipple shield which may be readily mounted on and removed from a nurser combination.

A further object of the invention is to provide a one piece nipple shield of flexible material which releasably grips a nipple when mounted thereon.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a self-sealing shield for a nurser combination.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view of a nurser combination equipped with the novel shield;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail fragmentary sections showing the movements of the base of the shield during sterilization and after cooling;

Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation of the novel shield;

Fig. 6 is a vertical central section through Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 5.

It has been found desirable to provide an improved nipple shield for a nurser combination which has flexible nipple gripping elements so as to be readily mounted on and removed from the nipple, and which has a flexible apron adapted to seat on the nurser cap, where excess air pressure during sterilization may readily escape below the apron edge, and suction resulting from cooling will press the apron edge into sealing contact with the retaining cap, whereby the nipple and the bottle contents remain sterile for use.

Referring to the drawings, the nurser combination 10 includes a bottle or container 11 having its neck 12 formed with external holding elements such as a screw thread 13, a nipple 14 which has a body portion 15, a neck 16 and an enlarged generally spherical tip 17 provided with one or more feed passages 18, the body portion having an annular base flange 19 adapted to seat on the bottle neck. A retaining cap 20 has a central opening 21 through which the nipple body portion extends, and has a depending annular flange 22 which has bottle neck engaging elements such as an internal thread 23 to engage the bottle neck threads 13, the lower surface 24 of the cap preferably having an annular projecting rib 25 to press down on the nipple base flange, and the upper surface 26 of the cap being preferably smooth.

A nipple shield 27, see 'Fig. 5, is hollow to receive a nipple, and is of preferably one piece, made of molded or dipped flexible material, such as rubber, and is generally conical in shape, with an upper dome portion 28 adapted to seat over the nipple tip, an intermediate downwardly flaring portion 29 adapted to extend over the nipple body portion in spaced relation thereto, and a lower outwardly flaring apron 30 of thinner cross section, to be relatively flexible. The dome and intermediate shield portions are provided with integral spaced ribs at their junction, the drawings showing three spaced upper ribs 31 of convex contour extending from the dome section slightly downwardly into the intermediate section, and three spaced lower ribs 32 of convex contour extending from the intermediate section slightly upwardly into the dome section as shown in Fig. 6, the ribs being thin to provideflexibility and being uniformly spaced, note Fig. 7. The upper ribs 31, note Fig. 2, contact the nipple neck and interlock beneath the nipple tip, and the lower ribs 32 contact the nipple body portion and serve as spacers.

When the shield is pressed down on the nipple, the interior of the shield provides a recess into which the nipple is received, the ribs 32 yield and then assume their position below the nipple tip to hold the shield in place. The ribs 32 create a free air passageway 33 between the nipple and the shield, and the lower edge 34 of the apron 30 contacts and presses down on a sealing surface, such as the upper surface of the retaining cap. The nurser combination with shield may now be sterilized, whereupon excess air escapes through the nipple tip passages, through the passageway 33, and out below the lower edge 34 of the apron, see Fig. 3. On cooling, the air in the nurser combination contracts to create a slight vacuum, whereupon the flexible lower edge 34 of the apron presses in, see Fig. 4, to firmly contact the upper surface of the retainer cap and thus seal the nipple and the nurser contents. When it is desired to use the nurser, the shield will release upon a slight pull.

The novel shield thus protects the nurser and keeps it sterile. The suction pull on the shield apron is sufiicient to hold the shield secure on the nurser when travelling as well as when stored in a refrigerator or the like.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that changes in the material, in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts, may be made to suit the requirements for different nursers and feeding nipples, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended thereto.

1 claim:

1. In combination, a nurser comprising a bottle, a nipple, a retaining cap for retaining the nipple on the bottle, and a nipple shield, said nipple having a body portion, a neck of reduced width terminating in an enlarged spherical feeding tip, and an annular base flange extending laterally from the lower end of the body portion and seated on the neck of the bottle, the retaining cap having a central opening through which the nipple body extends and a depending annular flange releasably engaging the bottle neck, the retaining cap pressing the nipple flange into contacting engagement with the bottle neck rim, the nipple shield being of flexible non-metallic material and generally conical in shape, with an upper dome portion seating in over and in spaced relation to the nipple tip, an intermediate flaring portion extending over the nipple body in spaced relation thereto, and a lower flaring apron seating on the upper surface of the retaining cap, said nipple shield having parts projecting inwardly and engaging the nipple neck and nipple body.

2. In the combination of claim 1, the lower flaring apron of the nipple shield being of reduced thickness to provide greater flexibility.

3. In the combination of claim 2, said nipple shield engaging parts including spaced ribs.

4. In the combination of claim 3, said ribs having convex nipple engaging surfaces.

5. In the combination of claim 4, some of said ribs being adapted to engage the nipple neck at its junction with the feeding tip and others of said rib being adapted to engage the nipple body portion.

6. A nipple, shield of flexible non-metallic material having an upper dome portion having a rounded upper surface and cylindrical sides, an intermediate portion flaring downwardly from the lower edge of the dome portion, and a lower apron flaring downwardly from the lower edge of the intermediate portion, said shield having spaced ribs extending inwardly from and bridging the junction between the lower edge of the dome portion and the upper edge of the intermediate portion.

7. In the combination of claim 6, the lower flaring apron of the nipple shield being of reduced thickness to provide greater flexibility.

8. In the combination of claim 7, the spaced ribs having convex nipple engaging surfaces.

9. In the combination of claim 8, some of said ribs being adapted to engage the nipple neck at its junction with the feeding tip and others of said ribs being adapted to engage the nipple body portion.

10. In the combination of claim 9, said intermediate portion having a slightly convex outer surface.

11. In the combination of claim 10, said lower portion having a conical outer surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

